Do Museums Still Matter?
Ted talk video link
Published on Feb 21, 2012
Increasingly, our world is filled with tablets, smart phones and lap tops. We move at a pace that would have been unimaginable only a few decades ago. Steven Conn's book "Do Museums Still Need Objects."
video length 53:55
Steven Conn . Columbus Ohio -- author of "Do Museums Still Need Objects" and "What are Museums For"
Glenn D. Lowry - Museum of Modern Art, NYC
Caitlin Kelly - Freelance Journalist for The New York Times
Janet Carding - Director & CEO of The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
Jaye Robinson - Member of the Toronto City Council
with
video notes
What are museums?
- Humans have an impulse to collect
- We like the idea of the authentic artifact or art work
- Cabinets of Curiosity and Wunderkammers
- Living History museums have been around since the 19th century
- These are excellent example of participatory museums where visitors young and old can have a hands-on experience
Steven Conn
- Museums arose in during the Renaissance period as places of wonder.
- Started to be built during the Enlightenment period of the 17th and 18th centuries
- They were public places that were projects of nationalism
- During the 19th and 20th century the building of museums throughout North America thrived and became The Golden Age of Museum Building
- 19th c. becomes a period for interest in strong educational practices and the museum was a way to explore nationalism, science, art, and other ideas to the public
- Late 20th century and 21st century, our new museums are striving to be different are not a place any longer of 'dead things'
Glenn D. Lowry
- Museums start with an idea around something, then shape that idea with objects, followed by shaping the collection with the space
- Many museums have an array of architectural jewels and thus become a 'museum' or at least an artifact in their own right
Janet Carding
- A museum is a place where community goes to learn about something and is then engaged in that intellectual experience
Jaye Robinson
- Threats from government funding cuts are worrisome to smaller museums that need that funding to survive
- What needs to be done is cross-marketing strategies with other tourist ideas in the region
- Work together as effective stewards of the area's regional attractions
- Make museums more viable by introducing them early in educational curriculum (4th or 5th grade)
- Social media involvement is important
- Virtual tours introduce the museum to potential new visitors and thus drive visitors to the physical space
The Value of Museums
- Museums are "economic engines" for the area they are situated in
- Unfortunately, when looking at how funding is granted from the government, they look at the head count through the door and the $ institution brings in -- we need to re-think this
- Museums are a social, dynamic place
- People want more involvement in the educational institutions
- People want a personalized experience and interactive museums are becoming more and more like this
- Cell phones have really changed the way in which we interact with museums and our personalized visit
- Museums are also a place to engage in conversations with others there and afterwards and engagement between objects and people
Museums are the crucible that forge relationships between strangers. G.D. Lowry
The draw of the museum is a social experience to then have a personal experience within. S. Conn
- Some museums have lost their momentum and importance in the culture they are situated in, thus not effective
We have no mechanisms in place to end a particular museum or institution.
G. D. Lowry
Virtual Tours
- Enhance the experience or take away from it?
- Virtual tours often amplify an idea about the collection, the museum, etc.
- It's a double edged sword
- It offers the opportunity for all the collection to be accessible
- The real and the virtual should be seamless for access to be experienced well
ended at 38:10
